2003 Toyota Echo Ignition Key Not always Turning

[cjcride]

The ignition key does not always turn to start the car. Jiggling the steering sometimes helps and sometimes does not.
Car has about 185,000 Miles/300,000 Km's.

Online search suggested: New Key from Toyota; Replace Ignition Cylinder from Wrecker or Buy New.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

[Dakota1820]

sounds like a bad lock cylinder. have you tried some graphite powder lube?

 

[Donald]

I have had a new VW Passat where I could not get the key out, and a old Suburban where I literally could not turn the engine off.

Is the key a factory key or a copy? Do you have other keys? If Toyota can give you a new key from the VIN I would do that. If you need a new lock cylinder, I would get a new one, one from a wrecker might not be that much better than your current one. There is some labor in replacing the lock cylinder, at least on my Suburban. Its not a 5 minute job.

I will tell you that most (99.9%) of the places that make key copies do a poor job. I found a locksmith in Pittsfield MA that has about 4 different machines, thousands of different blanks AND calibrates his machines every 6 months. At a Lowes I know there was one good machine and one bad. Somehow the bad machine never got fixed and both were used to make keys. However most locks do not require the key to be snot on, if they did there would be a big line at the locksmith in Pittsfield.

 

[Warstud]

I've had that problem before and took a towel and held it under the lock cylinder while I sprayed WD-40 inside. Out came a piece of wood I suspect was in my pocket that the key picked up.

 

[crazyoildude]

you need a new lock cylinder they are not a lot of money

 

[yesthatsteve]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
I've had that problem before and took a towel and held it under the lock cylinder while I sprayed WD-40 inside. Out came a piece of wood I suspect was in my pocket that the key picked up.


This should be step 1. If that doesn't work, then the cylinder may be too far gone to save.

 

[kschachn]

If you need a new cylinder, get one from an online dealer. Then take it to a locksmith and they will re-wafer it to match the old key. It isn't a ton of money and everything will work fine after that.

Just a new key won't help especially if you get Toyota to cut one using your key code. The cylinder is worn.

I had to do this on my Sienna and I think the grand total was around $125 for both the cylinder and the locksmith's time. It was easy to install. The locksmith was willing to install the new one but I did it myself as it's literally a 2 minute job.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
sounds like a bad lock cylinder. have you tried some graphite powder lube?


Just make sure the housing or associate parts do not have aluminum in them when using graphite, it reacts badly with it.

 

[mechtech2]

First, got another key? Try it.
WD40 is next - it should be lubed inside.
There are adjustments to the lockout rod and switch , also.

 

[cjcride]

You guys are Champs! Thanks for all the input.

 

[crazyoildude]

like i said get a new cylinder toyota sometimes uses a split pin and they wear fast